Sales force automation system and method

ABSTRACT

A salesforce automation system which integrates computerized, intelligent automated salesperson support for multiple phases of the sales process. Various subsystems may be provided to facilitate the sales process which may include pre-sales lead generation, maximize time spent with the customer, effectively manage an order, ensure customer satisfaction and retain the customer for future sales. Also provided to support the phases of the sales process are additional tools, integrated in the system. The additional tools may include self management subsystems, sales management subsystems and training subsystems.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. application Ser.No. 11/929,493 tiled Oct. 30, 2007, which is a Divisional Application ofU.S. application Ser. No. 11/537,953, filed Oct. 2, 2006, entitled“Sales Force Automation System and Method”, now abandoned, which is aContinuation Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/566,872, filedMay 8, 2000, entitled “Computer-Readable Data Product for an IntegratedComputerized Sales Force Automation System”, now abandoned, which is aContinuation Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/550,089, filedOct. 30, 1995, entitled “integrated Computerized Sales Force AutomationSystem”, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,525 on May 23, 2000. Thisapplication hereby incorporates in their entireties the disclosures ofU.S. application Ser. Nos. 11/929,493, 11/537,953, U.S. application Ser.No. 09/566,872 and U.S. application Ser. No. 08/550,089.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a sales force automation systemand, more particularly, to an automated sales system which facilitatesthe sale of an item or service by intelligently integrating into asingle system tools used by a salesperson in the sales process

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most conventional sales systems have been implemented in a limitedmanner and are typically directed solely to a particular event, task orsmall subset of tasks in the sales process. Such systems are constructedby examining a particular sales event and by developing an automatedtool to assist the salesperson confronted by the particular event. Suchsystems are individually developed without regard for other eventsoccurring in the overall sales process in which the salesperson isengaged. As a result, conventional systems fail to provide full supportfor the salesperson.

Conventional lead management systems have been developed, for example,to assist sales personnel in developing customer leads into potentialcustomers. Such systems may use a letter library for producing mailmerges to a list of leads. Such systems are developed for independentaction and do not consider other events in sales process. For example,no consideration is given to events occurring during the ordermanagement stage of the sales process where a purchased item or servicepurchased by the customer is actually being ordered, processed, built,manufactured, delivered, etc.

Using conventional systems, a salesperson may use the lead managementsystem to prepare a mass mailing directed to specific types of customershaving a particular need for a product. As a result of this mailing, acertain number of customers may be attracted to the salesperson'sproduct. If one of these customers purchases the item from thesalesperson, an order for the item must be generated and the salespersonmust manage the order to insure proper delivery. Typically, a separatelydeveloped order processing package is used by the salesperson togenerate the order. The order processing package does not take intoconsideration information which may have been generated or available inthe system during the initial mass mailing stage of the process. Evenwithin the order management phase of the sales process, differentprocessing packages are often used to monitor the order process toensure proper delivery is made.

Such conventional sales automation systems are often developed byseparate vendors and, as described above, the vendors develop thesystems in consideration of only that portion of the overall salesprocess in which the sales automation system is to be used. As a result,the different systems are oftentimes incompatible with one another. Thisleads to an inefficient overall process and in many instances requiresredundant information to be stored in multiple locations for use by thevarious systems. The use of multiple, often incompatible sales toolsthroughout the sales process increases the costs associated with makingthe sale and lessens the likelihood of making the sale by diminishingthe impact of the sales presentation and by failing to effectively useall of the information available to the salesperson.

Conventional attempts to couple different sales tools together have alsofailed to appreciate the overall sales process. Such multiple tasksystems typically take different conventional sales tools and tie theminto a single system. However, sales tools tied together in this mannerstill fail to appreciate the overall sales process and do not usevaluable information obtained during the sales process as it is relevantto other phases of the sales process. Typically, the individual tools ofsuch systems are developed in consideration of only the particular eventin the sales process for which the tool will be used.

Like the individual systems, typical prior art multiple task sales toolsare also developed without an appreciation for the complete salesprocess. Due to the lack of appreciation for the entire sales process,such conventional systems do not use much of the information madeavailable to the system upon occurrence of an event in the salesprocess. For example, no consideration is given to how one event in thesales process relates to other tasks and events in the sales process.While a particular event occurring in one phase of the sales process maybe relevant to tasks or events in another phase of the process,conventional systems have failed to recognize the significance of theevent or to use the information consistently throughout the salesprocess.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order toprovide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Thissummary is not an exhaustive overview of the invention. It is notintended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or todelineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to presentsome concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detaileddescription that is discussed later. In accordance with one embodimentof the present invention, a sales force automation system is used togenerate a proposal in a sales process. The system includes a datacomponent configured to store data developed and used in the salesprocess. This stored date may include data from a lead generation phase,time with customer phase, and purchase order management phase. Thesystem also includes a communication component configured to supportremote access communications with a back office system. A proposalsoftware module is used to generate the proposal by retrieving data fromthe data component for the proposal. The software module is programmedto (i) tag features and benefits for the proposal, (ii) tag competitiveinformation for the proposal, and (iii) create a customer solution. Amanagement module is configured to detect a proposal generation andinstruct a module in the back office system to update to reflect theproposal generation. The management module is configured to operate evenwhen disconnected from the back office system such that data to instructthe module in the back office system to update is placed in thecommunication component and automatically transmitted at a nextconnected session with the back office system. In addition, a method isdescribed for generating a proposal using the sales force automationsystem components.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention a sales forceautomation system is used to submit a purchase order in a sales process.The system includes a data component configured to store orderrequirements information, configuration information from proposals, andcustomer information. The system also includes a communication componentconfigured to support remote access communications with a back officesystem. An order management software module is used to submit a purchaseorder by retrieving data from the data component. The software module isprogrammed to (i) check purchase order requirements based on orderrequirements information from the data component, (ii) retrieveconfiguration information from a proposal, (iii) retrieve customerinformation, (iv) create a work session file used to manage informationrelated to the purchase order. A management module is configured todetect a purchase order submittal process and instruct a module in aback office system to update a sales management forecast to reflect thepurchase order submittal process. The management module is configured tooperate even when disconnected from the back office system such thatdata to instruct the module in the back office system to update isplaced in the communication component and automatically transmitted at anext connected session with the back office system. In addition, amethod is described for submitting a purchase order using the salesforce automation system components.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention a sales forceautomation system is used to update price information in a salesprocess. The system includes a data component configured to store pricedata. The system also includes a communication component configured tosupport remote access communications with a back office system. Amanagement module is configured to detect a price information updatefrom the back office system and update the price data stored in the datacomponent and mark old information as invalid in a configurationdatabase of the data component. The management module is configured tooperate even when disconnected from the back office system such that aprice information update in the back office system is received in thecommunication component and automatically processed at a next connectedsession with the back office system. In addition, a method is describedfor updating price information using the sales force automation systemcomponents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of thefollowing detailed description of various embodiments of the inventionin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of various components of a salesautomation system;

FIG. 2 illustrates a sales automation system in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a lead generation component of thesystem of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a time with customer component ofthe system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of an order management component of thesystem of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a customer retention component ofthe system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a self management component of thesystem of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a training component of the systemof FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a sales management component of thesystem of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate an embodiment of a data component of thesystem of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of a communication component of thesystem of FIG. 2;

FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of a data tools subsystem of system ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of a system tools subsystem of thesystem of FIG. 2;

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment of an enterprise system subsystem 209of the FIG. 2;

FIGS. 15A-15C illustrates in table form an example of how data may beorganized in the data component of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating an operation of a system inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating another operation of a system inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating still another operation of a systemin accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 19 illustrates an event manager in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 20 illustrates a layered architecture in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 21A-21E illustrates a table of related events in a sales process;

FIG. 22 illustrates another event manager in accordance with anembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 23 illustrates interaction of an expert system with a sales processin accordance with an embodiment of the system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present system is a fully integrated sales automation system inwhich each aspect of the entire system is integrated with each otheraspect of the entire system to intelligently form a complete sales tool.The preferred system is constructed such that relative informationgenerated or available as a result of an event occurring in any portionof the overall system is automatically reflected and used in a maximallyefficient manner by all other portions of the system to which theinformation is relevant.

Exemplary components of a tool designed to support the complete salesprocess are illustrated in FIG. 1. A salesperson support system 100 ismade up of a number of different subsystems which generally relate tovarious phases of the sales process. The system as disclosed is dividedinto four core process components 103, namely a Lead Generationcomponent 102, a Time with Customer component 104, an Order Managementcomponent 106 and a Customer Retention component 108. Additional supportcomponents 105 may be integrated into the system to support the functionand use of the core process components 103. For example, in thedisclosed embodiment, three support process components 105 providesupport for the core process components 103. Support process components105 typically include a Self Management component 110, a SalesManagement component 112 and a Training component 114. Two hardware orsystem components 107, namely Data component 116 and Communicationscomponent 118, are provided in the preferred system for use by the coreprocess components 103 and support process components 105. Each of thecore process components 103 relate generally to a particular phase ofthe overall sales process from initial generation of a name as a lead toretention of a satisfied customer for future sales. The support processcomponents 105 relate generally to those tasks carried out by salespersonnel throughout the entire sales process. The general functions andintegration of the various components as implemented in the preferredembodiment are described more fully below.

The lead generation component 102 is provided to assist sales personnelto identify leads, to generate qualified leads and to begin the salesprocess. The lead generation component may include, for example,automated systems designed to assist the sales personnel in carrying outsuch tasks as telemarketing, kiosk presentations, trade showdemonstrations, database marketing, electronic advertising, etc. Datadeveloped and used during the lead generation phase of the sales processis stored in and retrieved from a database in the data component 116.For example, a kiosk may be set up at a trade show through whichinformation such as names, addresses, and product interests of potentialcustomers is gathered. This information is stored in a database of thedata component 116 of the system and is made available for use by othercomponents of the system. Sales information currently available in adatabase, such as information previously gathered, purchased databases,or previous customers, may also be used in conjunction with the leadgeneration component to identify potential customers. For example, suchinformation may be used to generate an electronic mailing to potentialleads. Such a process can be fully automated in accordance withparameters set by the salesperson using the system.

The lead generation component 102 is intelligently integrated with theother components of the system to provide a complete system. Asdescribed more fully below, the intelligent integration of the leadgeneration component 102 with the rest of the system operates torecognize events occurring in the system which are relevant to functionsof the lead generation component 102 and may automatically implementsuch functions as appropriate.

The second core process component of the salesperson support system 100is the time with customer component 104. This component is used by thesalesperson during the phase of the sales process which occurs from thetime a qualified lead is identified to the time a sale is completed andan order is created. The time with customer component 104 is, in manyrespects, the heart of the system 100, since it is used by thesalesperson at a time in the sales process where maximum payback isreceived. During this phase of the process, the system 100 assistssalespeople in generating revenue by committing a customer to a specificpurchase, i.e., converting the “lead” into a purchasing customer.

The time with customer component 104 may include a number ofsubcomponent modules each automated to assist sales personnel inefficiently performing their function during this important phase of thesales process. For example, presentation and proposal modules assist thesales personnel to electronically give a presentation to a customer andprepare a proposal for the customer which reflects the presentation.Integration of these modules with other components and modules of thesystem provides for efficient generation of presentation and proposalswhich are tailored to the needs and preferences of the customer. Asdescribed more fully below, the preferred system also intelligentlyrecognizes significant events occurring during the time with customerphase of the sales process and informs other components of the systemwhen the recognized event indicates other action should be taken.

Customer requirements modules, configuration modules, features andbenefits modules, performance modules, quotation and financing modules,life cycle modules, services modules, comparative presentation modules,goods, etc., provide assistance to sales personnel making the maximumamount of information regarding a potential product or service availableto the potential customer in order to successfully complete the salesprocess. In a preferred system, all such modules are integrated witheach other as well as with the other components, to permit an efficientexchange and use of information.

As conceptually illustrated in FIG. 1, the time with customer componentreceives necessary information, for example, pricing and financing datafrom the data component, and stores information obtained during the timespent with the customer, such as the customer's particular needs anddesires in the databases of the data component 116.

The order management component 106 assists sales personnel inefficiently managing the critical sales process phase that encompassesthe time between the purchase decision and the time the product orservice is delivered. For some products or services, this could be ashort period of time, while for others it may be many months or evenyears. The order management component 106 allows the sales personnel toelectronically manage changes and provide needed information to thecustomer during this critical time. Moreover, by integrating the ordermanagement component 106 with the time with customer component 104, theactual order can be directly created from the proposal information.Furthermore in the preferred system, any information related to thecustomer's specific needs or desires gleaned from the customer duringthe time with the customer phase of the sales process may be used by theorder management component 106 to ensure the needs and desires are met.For example, if a change order is processed, the changes may beautomatically checked to evaluate their impact on any other needs of thecustomer.

The order management component 106 may include, for example,subcomponent modules such as change order modules, order status modules,invoicing modules, order acknowledgment modules, etc. Each of themodules assist the sales personnel to electronically manage the orderprocess. The order management component 106 is also coupled to the datacomponent 116 so that change order information, for example, will beautomatically reflected in the one or more databases of data component116. In the preferred system, the order management component 106 isintelligently integrated with the other components of the system torecognize events occurring in the order management phase of the salesprocess.

A further core process component of preferred system 100 is the customerretention component 108. This component assists sales personnel duringthe phase of the sales process after delivery of the service or productpurchased by the customer. Component 100 assists sales personnel inretaining a customer; this is accomplished through processes that ensurea customer remains satisfied with the purchase decision and thatincrease repeat sales opportunities. For example, in FIG. 1, thecustomer retention component 108 is shown as feeding back informationvia line 126 to line 120 connecting the lead generation component 102and the time with customer component 104. This diagrammaticallyillustrates an integration between the customer retention component 108as it is used to convert and satisfy the customer into a new potentialcustomer. It is understood that the function of certain modules of thecustomer retention component 108 and the lead generation component 102may overlap.

The customer retention component 108 is also connected to store andretrieve data using the one or more databases of the data component 116.The customer retention component 108 may include, for example, customercontact modules, newsletter modules, customer satisfaction modules,after sales incentive modules, customer business plan modules, promotionmodules, etc., to facilitate its function of converting satisfiedcustomers into repeat customers. As with the other components, thecustomer retention component is intelligently integrated into thepreferred system.

The support process components 105 are provided to assist the salespersonnel in more efficiently utilizing the core process components 103and in carrying out the tasks associated with the various phases of thesales process in an intelligently automated manner. The self managementcomponent 110 assists sales personnel to manage their opportunities,time, contacts, schedules, goals, tasks, etc. This component is used bythe salesperson as a support for each of the core process components103. By way of example, the sales management component 110, may beintelligently integrated into the system to monitor for certain types ofevents occurring in the other system components, and, when such an eventoccurs in one component, for example, the time with customer component104, an automatic to-do list is automatically generated in the selfmanagement component 110. The to-do list represents actions which willneed to be carried out as a result of the event using other componentsof the system such as the order management component 106. Thus, the selfmanagement component 110 both assists the sales personnel in utilizingthe core process components of the salesperson support system 100 andprovides for increased integration of the complete system.

The sales management component 112 supports the sales process byallowing sales managers access to current information from salespeoplefor which they have managing responsibilities. The sales managementcomponent 112 may be implemented using client-server technology to allowsales managers to electronically manage sales activities includingcoaching, planning and forecasting, even when sales personnel are awayfrom the main office. As with the self management component 110, thesales management component 112 may be intelligently integrated tointeract with each of the other components of the system. With such animplementation, key sales events are recognized by the system, and thesales management component 112 automatically implements management taskson the basis of these events.

A training component 114 facilitates the sales process by electronicallyproviding training activities. In the preferred system, the trainingcomponent 114 is integrated to the entire system such that salespeopleare trained on product knowledge, sales skills, and the system usageusing computer-based training, without spending valuable time away fromtheir sales territory. Moreover, integration of training component 114with the core processing components 103, as well as the self managementcomponent 110 and the sales management component 112, facilitatesautomated training exercises on how to effectively use of each of thesecomponents. By integrating training component 114 with the datacomponent 116, training opportunities may be implemented using realinformation. For example, it sales personnel are being trained toprepare customer proposals and orders, actual up-to-date information andproduct descriptions can be used to ensure that the training processaccurately reflects the actual sales process.

The preferred system also recognizes sales events which are significantto training and may automatically initiate certain training functions onthe basis of these training events.

Preferred data component 116 is an integral component of the salespersonsupport system 100. Each of the above described components are driven insome respect by data and information, such as prices, specifications,competition, features and benefits, leads, names, financing, salesprograms, etc. The data component 116 provides for data management,synchronization, storage, and distribution, all of which are key to afully integrated salesforce automation system.

The communications component 118 also supports each of the abovedescribed components. This component may include, for example,electronic data and software distribution using client-server,messaging, diskette and CD-ROM technology. In many sales industries, thesales personnel are widely distributed over large geographicterritories. In such systems, the communication component includescapabilities to support remote access communications including cellularnetworks and satellite communications. If the various components areimplemented on different platforms, communication between the platformsmust also be handled. It is noted that each of the components andassociated modules may be configured to operate in a multinationalenvironment to facilitate sales in various countries.

The above described components provide support for the complete salesprocess. However, each of the above described components may not beneeded in a particular sales environment. Thus, various subsetcombinations of the sales system can be constructed depending on thefunctionality requirements of the product or service to be sold. What isparticularly advantageous, however, is that each of the components usedin a particular sales system be fully integrated into a system whichallows for a common exchange of relevant information between the variouscomponents used. The salesperson support system 100 may be constructedusing a foundation system, described more fully below, to which thevarious components can be loosely coupled, as “pluggable” modules, tofrom a customized integrated sales system.

A complete salesforce automation system 20, as an exemplary embodimentof a preferred system, is illustrated in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, thesalesperson support system 100 includes the above described components,with slight modifications described below. FIG. 2 also illustrates aserver-based back office system 200, which provides support for thesalesperson support system 100 and includes a number of additionalfunctions. As described below, the back office system 200 may be used bydata maintenance and system administration personnel to facilitate theoverall sales process by providing complete electronic support forsalespeople using the salesperson support system 100. Preferred system20 integrates one or more of distributed system technology,object-oriented architecture, multimedia presentation technology andworkgroup/workflow automation capabilities to provide a fully integratedcomputerized salesforce automation system. System 20 may be implementedusing distributed technology, which enables salespeople to work usingthe salesperson support system 100 while disconnected from the backoffice system 200. In this manner, a salesperson is able to completesales activities in any location at any time. A distributed technologyimplementation is particularly advantageous in sales industries where anumber of salespeople are located at diverse geographic areas butrequire a significant amount of sales information to facilitate aneffective sales presentation and complete the sale. Such a systempreferably integrates all of the tools needed by the salesperson for thetime spent with the customer as well as time away from the customer. Thesystem further may be integrated with e-mail and facsimile capabilitiesto provide a complete automated sales tool.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the various components of thesalesperson support system 100 are communicatively coupled to an eventmanager 201A via respective lines 202, 204, 206, 210, 212 and 214. Thevarious components of the salesperson support system 100 communicatewith the event manager using respective application programminginterfaces (APIs). The event manager 201A intelligently controls theflow of data and other information through the system. For example, datarequired by or input through one of the components will be handled bythe event manager to retrieve or store the data from and to a databaseof the data component 116A.

As described more fully below, the event manager 201A providesintelligent integration of the components of the system. The eventmanager 201A recognizes events occurring in the system and determines,on the basis of the event and the context in which the event occurs,what if any other actions or operations should be carried out by thesystem. If actions are necessary, the event manager 201A notifies theappropriate component of the needed action, grants the component accessto any needed data or other information and instructs the component tocarry out the operation.

Certain types of data are typically made available to the variouscomponent in various forms. For example one component may have rights toalter data stored in a local storage area of the data component. Othercomponents may be granted limited access to view such data but will notbe allowed to alter the data. The event manager 201A also controlsaccess to the data and oversees the transfer of information between thevarious components.

The event manager 201A also recognizes when a particular operation inone component requires a component in different module and handles thecommunication between the two components. The intelligent integration ofthe various components and modules of the system under operation of theevent manager is described more fully below.

The salesperson support system 100 also includes a system administrationsubsystem 205 connected to the event manager 201A. This subsystemincludes a tool box manager for handling administrative functions suchas setting user passwords, managing default settings, performing updateprocesses, etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the data component 116 (FIG. 1) is comprisedof a data component 116A directly supporting the salesperson supportsystem 100 and a data component 116B supporting the operations andfunctions implemented in the back office system 200. As described morefully below, each of the data components 116A and 116B include one ormore databases holding sales related information. Further, some data maybe stored in both systems in order to maximize the efficient operationof the system.

Portions of the communications component 118 (FIG. 1) also reside inboth the salesperson support system 100 and the back office supportsystem 200. Communications component 118A located in the salespersonsupport system 100 is communicatively coupled to the communicationcomponent 118B of the back office system 200. The particular type ofcommunicative coupling between the salesperson support system 100 andthe back office support system 200 will depend on the physical proximityof the two systems.

The communications component 118B of the back office system 200 islinked to the event manager 201B. The event manager 201B handlesinformation processed in the back office system 200. The event manager201B intelligently integrates the various components of the back officesystem 200. The event managers 201A and 201B perform similar operationsfor their respective systems. Sales information is exchanged between thetwo systems as needed using the communications components 118A and 118B.

The back office system 200 includes a number of subsystems designed tofurther facilitate and support the sales process. A systemadministration subsystem 215 is provided to administer the back officesystem 200. This subsystem allows a system administrator to manage theadministration of users and the system. The subsystem includes tools todefine names, addresses, security rules, passwords, version control,geography, etc. The system administration subsystem 215 is also used tohandle distribution of data updates, functional updates as well asversion creation and management of the overall system 20. A reportmanager tool is also provided in the system administration subsystem 215to handle audit reports, data books and other documents.

A data tools subsystem 205 is provided in the back office system 200. Asdescribed more fully below, the data tools subsystem is 205 used to editand maintain data within the system. The data tools subsystem 205 may beintegrated into the functionality of the various sales systemcomponents. In such a system users having access rights granted may gainaccess to the data tools subsystem which using the system.

A system tools subsystem 207 is provided to facilitate the creation andmanagement of reports and templates, screen terminology and systemdefault values. An enterprise systems subsystem 209 is provided tomanage enterprise information. The back office system 200 may alsoinclude a dealer business subsystem 211 which includes a data managerfor handling dealer inventory, customer data, credit approval, servicerecords, purchase histories, etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sales management component 112 (FIG. 1)may be provided in both the salesperson support system 100 (salesmanagement component 112A) and the back office system 200 (salesmanagement component 112B). Depending upon the particular salesindustry, sales managers may be located at the home office or may bemobile. When the sales manager is located at the home office, principlefunctions of the sales management component 112 (FIG. 1) reside in thesales management component 112B and the sales management component 112Acontains the necessary support functions to facilitate electronicmanagement of the salesperson using the salesperson support system 100.When the sales manager is located away from the home office, the salesmanager can use the sales management component 112A to access the salesmanagement component 112B and perform managing duties. As needed, thefunctions of the sales management operations may be provided in thesystem 100 used by the remotely located sales management personnel.

The various components and subsystems illustrated in FIG. 2 may beimplemented as software modules executing on general purpose computers.Alternatively, separate processors or computing platforms may be usedfor each component of the system or for various combinations ofcomponents. When, for example, the salesperson support system 100 isdetached from the back office system 200, separate processor elementsmust be used by the systems. However, a single processor, such as amini-mainframe connected to a number of individual terminals can be usedwhen the salespeople are all located in a close proximity. For example,a number of automobile salespeople may be located a single dealership,each having their own terminal to support their sales activities.

It is noted that system 20 is particularly adaptable for use by salespersonnel which must travel over wide geographic areas. A portablecomputer may be used to implement the salesperson support system 100,which has full functionality when detached from the back office system200. The portable computer may be communicatively coupled, via thecommunications subcomponents 118A and 118B, to the back office system200 as needed to update data and exchange sales information. In thismanner, the system 20 provides complete automated support for the entiresales process even while traveling away from the home office. Thesalesperson may travel to the customers' facilities where he can utilizeup-to-date prices and availability, deliver presentations and generateproposals in a highly automated and efficient manner. This greatlyincreases the salesperson's opportunity for closing a sale with thecustomer. In addition, since each sales event in the sales process usesthe system, the system can recognize the occurrence of the events andinitiate any further action dictated by the event.

The operation of the various components of the system will be betterunderstood by reference to the following exemplary embodiment. It isnoted, however, the subcomponent modules and features described below inconnection with the various components may alternatively be provided inother components of the system or in more than one component. Thedescription is provided to demonstrate how the various components areintegrated into a complete salesforce automation system. It is alsonoted that the system can be used to sell any kind of service orproduct. For ease of illustration, specific examples related to the useof the system in selling motor vehicles are used. The concepts disclosedherein, however, can be implemented in other types of sales processeswithout departing from the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates the subcomponent modules of the lead generationcomponent 102. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the lead generation component102 may include a kiosk module 302, a Web site module 304, atelemarketing module 306, etc.

As illustrated, the kiosk module 302, may include a stand-alone kioskstation operating pursuant to kiosk software, interfaced through theevent manager to the rest of the system 101 to receive data regarding apotential customers. This data is then commonly available to the othercomponents of the system and their respective subcomponent modules.Alternative to a stand-alone station, the portable computer of thesalesperson can be used as part of a kiosk type interface with potentialcustomers. Such a kiosk interface could be set up in locations wherepotential customers might be found.

The lead generation component 102 directed primarily to pre-salesactivities and includes a number of modules that may be installed atvarious sites for the purpose of providing sales information with orwithout a salesperson present. These modules facilitate the connectionof lead information that can be provided to the appropriate salesperson.Remote sites include trade shows, kiosks, Internet Web sites, orelectronic advertising. The lead generation component 102 is highlyintegrated with the time with customer component 104 and the selfmanagement component 110. All three of these components share a commonfunctionality and are utilized to disseminate the higher quality leadsfrom the lead qualification process.

The lead generation component 102 also includes the ability to processand/or receive lead data from other enterprise systems such astelemarketing, telesales or customer service records.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lead generation component 102 isintegrated to the other components of the system via the event manager201A. The intelligent operation of the event manager 201A allowsinformation and interests provided to the lead generation component 102by a prospective customer to be transferred to the other components ofthe salesperson system for action or follow-up. Similarly, informationdeveloped using other components, for example, the time with customercomponent 104, can be reused by the lead generation component togenerate additional leads. The event manager 201A may intelligentlyrecognize an event occurring while the salesperson is using the timewith customer component 104, which suggests that the particular customermay be prospective lead for another type of service or product. Thisinformation can be transferred to the lead generation component 102 sothat the prospective lead can be used for further action by thesalesperson when using the lead generation component 102.

The kiosk module 302, illustrated in FIG. 3, is utilized at publicforums where the salesperson may not necessarily be present. Aninteractive format is provided, most commonly with touch-screeninterface, to generate interest by the prospective customer and collectcustomer information. The kiosk module 302 may run disconnected from anyremote data source or may be implemented in real-time utilizing two-waydata sharing across a network communications provider.

The Web site module 304 may utilize much of the same functionality andinterface used by the salesperson when using the time with customercomponent 104 (described more fully below). The Web site component 304,while providing an interactive information supply to the Web site user,collects information about the user which is provided to the salespersonin the form of a lead. The lead information provided to the salespersonmay include a profile of the product or service selected by theprospective customer (lead) for follow-up sales activity by thesalesperson.

A telemarketing module 306 is provided to integrate the system withenterprise telemarketing functionality. Data received through theenterprise telemarketing functionality is recognized by the eventmanager 201A and is provided directly to the salesperson via the selfmanagement component 110.

FIG. 4 illustrates the subcomponent modules of the time with customercomponent 104. The subcomponent modules include a product informationmodule 402, a customer requirements module 404, a configuration module406, a quote preparation module 408, a finance module 410, a proposalgeneration module 412, a presentation module 414, a life cycle module416, a performance evaluation module 418, a competitive comparisonmodule 420, among other modules. Each of these subcomponent modules aredesigned to assist the salesperson in maximizing time spent meeting withthe customer to lead the customer to a purchase. It is noted thatcertain of the modules may be combined into a single module. Forexample, the competitive comparison module 420 may be incorporated intothe product information module 402 such that competitive comparisons canbe provided with descriptions of the product.

As described above, the time with customer component 104 is used bysalespeople when they are with a customer or preparing a proposal orpresentation for a customer in order to generate a sale of the productor service. The integrated subcomponent modules facilitate interactionbetween the salesperson and the customer through the sales process todevelop specific solutions that meet the customers needs, therebyenabling the salesperson to close the sale as described below.

The product module 402 is designed to present a variety of productinformation to the customer using a combination of text, graphicillustrations, motion, video, and sound. The product module 402 allowsthe user (i.e., salesperson) to present product, manufacturer,competitive comparison, dealership, and salesperson information to thecustomer. The product information may be set up in a table-of-contentsformat including paging and search functionality to facilitate theretrieval of product information for display to the customer. Theproduct information module 402 may include a number of viewers, enginesand communications modules. The viewers may include a text view,graphics illustration view, a motion view, and a video and sound view. Aproduct information engine may be provided. In the communicationsportion of the product module 402, communication with other portions ofthe system is provided. The product information module 402 allows aninteractive presentation for display of product information to thepotential customer rather than a fixed sequential series of slides. Themodule presents information formatted in graphical features and benefitsstyles.

The product module 402, when incorporating the competitive comparisonmodule 420, also provides the ability to present the company's productinformation side-by-side with a competitor's product information. Themodule supports various states including graphic states (e.g. still,animation, movies, sound, white papers, etc.) and has the capability ofimporting selected standard graphic formats (e.g. BMP, PCX, etc.) aswell as using selective presentation software output (e.g. PowerPoint,Freelance, etc.). The product information module 402 also includes thecapability of merging the specifications of a selected unit into eitherpredefined formats or user-defined formats to facilitate bidspecification creation. It also provides access to dealer informationand salesperson information during this phase of the sales process.

The product module 402 is integrated to the rest of the system via theevent manager 201A and includes the capability of exporting a sample ofany information to the proposal module 412 and/or presentation module414 for use as described fully below. The information generated may betagged using the product module 402 and automatically inserted as asection of a proposal generated using the proposal module 412.

The product module 402 may also be provided with the ability to printany of the information presented, export text-based information to atext file format and graphic-based information to a graphic file formatfor use by word processing software and graphic editing software,respectively. Fax, modem and e-mail functions are built into the moduleto communicate the generated information between the customer and thesalesperson.

The customer module 404 is used by the salesperson to facilitategathering of customer-specific information that is used throughout thesales system, for example, in printed material and on order creationtemplates. Depending upon the specific industry in which the customermodule 404 is designed for use, the information may include data such asthe customer's current units, required performance standards, accounttype or family, as well as the standard information including names,addresses, phone numbers, etc. The customer module 404 also allows theuser to enter free-form notes related to a particular customer's needs,proposal or presentation. The customer module 404 is integrated to therest of the system via the event manager 201A for a common exchange ofinformation. For example, data from the self-management component 112 ofthe system and may be used to populate the customer information from theself-management component 112.

The customer module 404 typically includes reporting capabilities toprint the customer information collected which can also be tagged andprinted as a section of a proposal generated using the proposal module412. The customer module 404 may also be programmed with customized APIintegration capabilities to allow the system to be used with contactmanagement programs developed by other vendors, e.g., ACT! or Gold Mine.As with the other components and modules, the event manager recognizesevents in the sales process, evaluates the events and initialsappropriate action.

The configuration module 406 is comprised of multiple engines, APIs andvarious other subcomponents, each optimized for a particular portion ofthe configuration process. The configuration module 406 is supported bya data manager and editor provided in the data tools subsystem of theback office system 200 (described more fully below). The configurationmodule 406 receives data from a compiled run time version databaselocated in data component 116A. The run-time version database is builtfrom an open-product knowledge database located in the data component116B while the two systems are connected. The salesperson uses theconfiguration module 406 to accurately configure and price a productthat passes engineering, manufacturing and customer requirements. Aswith the other modules, the results can be tagged and automaticallyincluded in a proposal, presentation, and/or order submitted to thefactory.

The configuration module 406 may be implemented on a portable computerallowing the salesperson to configure product or service information atany time or place, even while disconnected from the back office system200. The configuration module 406 is interactive, checking for optionand pricing relationships and updating unit status after each selection.In this manner, the unit being configured is accurate at all pointsduring the sales process. Using the construction described herein, veryshort response time to support operations are provided when thesalesperson is with the customer. Such a system may perform all optionand pricing checks within one to three seconds after a selection ismade.

As noted above, configuration module 406 may be built around a small,secure, encrypted run-time database. A typical configuration database ofthe data component 116A (without images) will be approximately one totwo MB (assuming 5,000 options with 20 million configurationpossibilities). The configuration module 406 may also be used to providesimulated performance results based on the configuration selected. Salesfunctions such as inventory locators and supplier inserts (informationprovided by third party manufacturer suppliers) may also be integratedinto the module to support the sales process.

Once a product is configured, the configuration module 406 may be usedto carry out performance simulations for the product to determine if theproduct meets the customer's needs or desires. For example, theconfiguration module 406 may be used to configure a truck for acustomer. Once the truck is configured a performance simulation may becarried out to determine if the configured truck meets customer's needs.The customer may need the truck to be able to haul a certain size loadup a particular grade at a specified speed. The configuration module 406will simulate the performance characteristics for the configured truckto see if it meets this criterion.

The quotation module 408 facilitates calculation and preparation of abottom line quotation, thus enabling the salesperson to provide thecustomers immediate and accurate quotes for one or more units. Unitprice, quantity, tradein value, discounts, fees, and taxes are all takeninto consideration in order to present an accurate and consistent quote.The quotation module 408 may include quotation module worksheet that isable to calculate a quote price based on profitability requirements.

The quotation module 408 automatically provides defaults, parameters andtax formulas, which can be established using a tool box in the systemadministration subsystem 205, to prompt for specific informationrequired to accurately and consistently calculate a quotation. Thequotation module 408 is integrated to the configuration module 406 toallow the salesperson to quote a unit specified in the configurationmodule 406 if desired. The quotation module 408 is also fully integratedwith the rest of the system to allow the salesperson to apply purchaseincentive programs and discounts on a fixed dollar or percentage basis.Fees can be added to the quote on a fixed dollar or percentage basisfrom a list established using the tool box of the system administrationsubsystem 205 or added uniquely to the particular quotation.

The quotation module may also be provided with the ability to includetrade-in information entered by the user. Alternatively, a separatetrade-in module may be provided in the time with customer component 104to directly assist the salesperson in gathering information regarding aunit the customer wishes to trade-in. The information collected mayinclude any necessary repairs or reconditioning required to bring theunit to a saleable condition, lienholder information and an evaluationprocess. Using such information, an accurate value for the trade-in canbe automatically generated. Depending upon the specific industry, avariety of forms and reports can be made available and printed to assistwith this process.

The quotation module 408 also provides utilities for calculating taxformulas as a percentage of unit price, percentage of unit less trade-in(allowance or net) or a flat amount. Specific various dollar ranges forthe tax can also be applied (e.g. 1 k on zero dollars to $15,000, 10% on$15,001 to $30,000, etc.). The quotation module 408 may also includeprofitability worksheets to facilitate the calculation of a effects ofmiscellaneous costs on the bottom line. The parameters for the worksheetcan be set using the system administration tool box. Profitabilityfunctionality may be used to determine a price based on desired profitpercentage, unit costs or flat product amounts.

As with the other modules, the quote module 408 is intelligentlyintegrated to the rest of the system via the event manager 201A. Theevent manager may recognize that a firm quote has been given to apotential customer using the quote module 408. In an environment whereproduct quantities are limited, the event manager may notify the backoffice system which in turn may automatically generate an order toincrease the inventory on hand. Such an intelligent operation may befurther enhanced using knowledge of how many firm quotes result inactual purchases. For example, the system may monitor the quote module408 and order extra inventory every third quote when experience hasindicated that one out of three quotes results in an order.

The finance module 410 may be comprised of multiple engines provided toassist the salesperson in quickly calculating and presenting finance andlease alternatives to customers based on information collected fromother modules. The finance module 410 may include the ability to selectfrom preset plans, calculate and customize plans, compare various plans,solve for financial goals, and print reports and forms. The financemodule 410 can be used to generate a plan consisting of three groups ofdata reflecting: (1) values that accumulate in the amount financed; (2)financial parameters; and (3) a payment schedule which is generatedusing a payment calculation engine.

Various financing plans can be generated by corporate personnel usingthe back office system 200 and distributed to salespeople during connectsessions with the salesperson support system 100. Alternatively, plansmay be created by the salesperson using the tool box. Defaults andlimitations can also be controlled at either level. The finance module410 provides the ability to apply business rules desired by the companyto the proposed financing options presented by the salesperson. Again,the financing module 410 is fully integrated to the system such thatpresentations and proposals as well as order management and customerretention tasks are integrated with the finance options selected.

The finance module 410 may be used to assist the salesperson to edit theamount financed variables including price, net trade value, cash downrequirements, insurance fees, etc. The salesperson may also be able toedit finance parameter variables such as interest rates, paymentschedule dates, payment frequency, payment method, terms and options.The various payment method alternatives include standard, irregular,blended rate, variable rate, skip, accelerated, step rent, and fixedprincipal.

The finance module 410 also assists the salesperson in providing leasinginformation to the customer. The system allows the salesperson to editthe amount leased variables including capitalized costs, acquisitionfees, insurance fees, lease rates, payment factors, payment schedules,payment methods, security deposits, and taxes and fees to presentvarious lease options.

A payment calculation engine is used by the finance module 410 toutilize information provided by the plans and return a payment scheduledbased on the actuarial general equation. A plan analysis engine is usedto calculate and evaluate various characteristics of a plan such asamortization, payment goals, net present value, internal rate of returnand finance income. The finance module 410 also allows the salespersonto display simultaneous comparisons of various plans of any type and keyelements of the plans or print the information in a report. A fit yourbudget engine can also be provided in the finance module 410 whichqualifies a customer's purchase price range, monthly payment range orcash down requirements. The information entered using the finance module410 is fully integrated to the other components and modules in thesystem. For example, selected financing options may be incorporated intoa proposal generated using the proposal module 412.

A life cycle cost module 416 is provided to prepare a comprehensiveanalysis of the cost associated with utilizing a product over a timeperiod. The analysis may include a comparison to an existing product,competitor's product, or the same product financed differently. Theproduct analysis may incorporate both fixed and variable costs todemonstrate to the customer the overall impact of a purchase decisionincluding owning costs, operating costs, maintenance costs anddepreciation. Graphic presentations of the results may be generated todisplay side-by-side competitive analysis of cash flow and annualsavings. As with the other modules, this module is fully integrated tothe rest of the system for intelligent interaction via the event manager201A.

The presentation module 414 and proposal module 412 provide a similarfunction of effectively presenting a solution to the customers needs.The presentation module 414 assists the salesperson in converting theproposed solution to the customer's needs into an effective presentationfor use while with the customer. Even the most effective customersolutions will not be sold unless properly presented to the customer.The presentation module 414 provides highly automated presentationgeneration which draws upon information obtained from other modules andcomponents of the system. The module is designed to allow the user tospecify, organize and create a high quality, interactive presentationbased on the information collected from the customer, canned informationabout the product or service offered, as well as any other informationwhich the salesperson imports into the sales system. Pre-definedtemplates are provided to facilitate the format of the buyer specificcontents. Editing capabilities can also be provided for sections of thepresentation to enhance flexibility.

The presentation module 414 is preferably implemented using easy to useuser interface, such as a drag and drop interface, for selection ofpresentation sections and sequences. This eliminates cut and paste tasksby the salesperson. Because the information is generated by the fullyintegrated system, automatic preparation of presentations can beimplemented without any modification of the data previously entered. Thesystem may utilize all media formats including text, graphical images,video and sound to provide the presentation. The presentation ispreferably provided interactive and non-sequential to allow thesalesperson to move from one topic to another as desired and dictated bythe customer's needs. Pre-defined, as well as user-defined presentationtemplates can be easily created to build consistent presentation formatsbased on buyer type, product or any specific selling situation. Thecomplete presentation may be previewed and edited on screen. The overallsystem is controlled by a system administrator using the back officesystem 200. As described above, the material content for thepresentation is automatically created on the basis of informationcollectable while the salesperson is interacting with the customer inother modules of the system.

While an effective presentation is a key aspect to the sales process,salespeople are often unable to get face-to-face with the final decisionmaker. Thus, some people who are involved in the buying decision may nothave viewed the presentation presented using the presentation module414. The information developed during the sales process by thesalesperson must be presented to such people in a printed proposal form.For this purpose, the proposal module 412 is provided. The proposalmodule 412 automatically converts the customer solution developed usingthe other components and modules into a high-quality, personalizedprinted proposal including colors and graphics.

As with the presentation, the proposal generated using the proposalmodule contains information generated or presented to the customer usingother modules of the sales system. As described above, while using theother modules of the system, information may have been tagged for use ina proposal. The information is automatically generated and incorporatedinto the proposal by the proposal module 412.

Many of the tools provided in the presentation module are also providedin the proposal module such as an easy to use user interface, predefinedand user defined templates, etc. The system allows for preview of thereport on screen and appropriate editing capability. The fullyintegrated system facilitates the salesperson's preparation of theproposal while the user is interacting with the customer, for example,using the various modules of the system. Accordingly, at the conclusionof a meeting with the customer, a complete, customized proposal can begenerated using all the information obtained from the customerthroughout the process.

The proposal and presentation modules 412 and 414 are integrated withthe rest of the system via the event manager 401A. The system recognizeskey sales events as described above. For example, the generation of aproposal may automatically generate a follow-up to-do list in theself-management portion of the system. Additionally, the system mayrecognize the significance of proposal generation and note in the leadgeneration component 102 the name of a customer and the type of productor service the customer is interested in. This information can be usedto generate automatic mailings to the customer about new relatedproducts.

FIG. 5 illustrates the subcomponent modules of the order managementcomponent 106. The order management component 106 includes an ordersubmit module 502, and order status module 504, a change order module506, and order acknowledgment module 508, etc. The order managementcomponent is integrated into the system to support the order creationand submission process, including configuration and pricing, at thepoint of sale. In this manner, a salesperson can use the system toautomatically convert a customer “solution” to a purchasing need,developed using the time with customer component 104, into an order.This ensures that what was sold to the customer is actually ordered andsubsequently delivered. Moreover, costs are reduced as administrativefunctions and errors are removed from the process. Customers are moresatisfied because they receive what they ordered. Moreover, the ordermanagement component 106 allows the salesperson to directly preparesupplemental orders and changes. As a result customers are able to dealdirectly with the salesperson throughout the entire sales process,increasing customer satisfaction.

The order creation and submittal module 502 is provided as part of theorder management component to facilitate creation and submission of anorder by adding any addition information to a proposal or quote requiredby the company's order fulfillment process such as “bill to”, “ship to”,deliver instructions, etc. All information previously entered via theother components and modules of the system, as relevant to the order,will automatically be reflected in the order creation and submissionmodule 502. For example, product and option data for the order areobtained from the configuration module 406 of the time with customercomponent 104 to prevent errors in the order process. The module mayprompt the salesperson for all additional required information andprovide error checking and acceptance criteria to ensure adequatecustomer solutions are provided. The order acknowledgement module 508receives an order acknowledgement which is passed back to the userthrough the communications component 118 in the back office system 200.

An order status module 504 is provided to allow the salesperson toinquire and monitor the status of an order at any time throughout theorder process. The module may include facilities for automaticallygenerating a periodic report for the salesperson to monitor the statusof outstanding orders.

The change order module 506 allows the salesperson to request changes toorders that have already been submitted to the manufacturer. This modulemay be integrated via the back office system 200 with the enterpriseorder fulfillment process. Product and option data for a revised ordermay be provided from the configuration module 406 to prevent errors. Forexample, the configuration module 406 can be used when a change isrequested to ensure that the change to the order does not affect othercomponents of the ordered product. This information may then be directlypassed to the change order module 506 of the order management component106 for preparation and submission of a change order. The user is,again, prompted for all required information. Alternatively, the changeorders may be produced directly in the change order module, with thechange order module 506 being integrated to the configuration module 406automatically checking the changed configuration for compatibility.Error checking and acceptance criteria can be applied to the changedorder by the system to ensure adequate customer satisfaction.

The event manager 201A recognizes order events and initiates appropriateaction. For example, the event manager may recognize an order for acustomer and pass the customer name and product ordered to leadgeneration component 102. Like the proposal, the order process mayindicate a customer's potential interest in other related products. Theevent manager will further note the context in which a customer islinked to a product. A customer who has ordered a product is differentthan one who merely requested a proposal. While both information isuseful, the event manager 201A recognizes the context in which theinformation was obtained and can automatically generate differentresponses based on the context. The event manager may also determine byaccessing customer information databases whether the order is submittedby an existing customer on a first time purchase. If the order comesfrom a first time purchase, a letter can be automatically generatedwhich reflects the new customer status.

FIG. 6 illustrates the subcomponent modules of the customer retentioncomponent 108. The customer retention component 108 includes a customersatisfaction module 602, a newsletter and mailings module 604, acustomer contact module 606, etc. The subcomponent modules provide anintegrated system for retaining customers as future, repeat customers.Two key aspects of the customer retention component 108 are provided inthe systems planning capabilities and information sharing abilities.Using the customer satisfaction module 602, the salesperson, possiblywith the assistance of the customer, develops a customer business plan.This allows the sales person to manage sales activities as it relates tothe customer's business plan. The information obtained in developing theplan using the customer satisfaction modules 602 may also be referred toby other components and modules as desired. For example, if thesalesperson is working with the customer to develop a new sales solutionto a customers needs using the time with customer component, as asolution is specified the system may automatically refer to thecustomer's business plan to determine if the proposed solution isconsistent with the plan. The customer satisfaction module 602 assiststhe salesperson in identifying key steps, deliverables, schedules,purchase goals, and key events for the upcoming year or period. Themodules also facilitates management of promotions which are set upbetween the salesperson and the customer.

The customer satisfaction module 602 is connected to the event manager201A for integration with the self management component 110. The selfmanagement component 110 provides the functionality for the user totrack and schedule the customer retention activities and objectivesestablished using the customer satisfaction module 602. It is noted thatthe event manager 201A will recognize operations carried in the customersatisfaction module 602, the context in which the plan is developed andmay direct the self management component 102 to automatically inserttasks and to do lists to assist the salesperson in following the plan.

The newsletters component 604 provides a mechanism for the system togenerate and mail out newsletters to customers based on the informationabout the customer available within the databases of the data component116. For example, the event manager may automatically recognize an eventwhich occurs during the sales process with a potential customer, andnotify the newsletter module 604 of the customer retention component 108to place the particular customer on a newsletter mail out list.

The customer contact module 606 assists the salesperson in remainingaware at all times of any contact or activity between a customer and thecompany such as warranty, service, marketing responses, and customersupport. The event manager 201A, recognizes such events within thesystem and notifies the customer contact module 606. The salesperson mayuse the customer contact module 606 to review such contact with aparticular customer. Information collected through other enterprisesystems may also be transferred to the sales system to monitor ongoingcustomer satisfaction and new sales opportunities on the basis ofinformation gathered via the other enterprise system.

FIG. 7 illustrates the subcomponent modules of the self managementsupport component 110. As described above, the self management supportcomponent 110 provides tools to the salesperson to use throughout thesales process in conjunction with the core components of the salesprocess. The self management support component 110 includes a contactmanagement module 702, an opportunity management module 704, a calendarmodule 706, a “to-do” list module 708, a forecast module 710, and a timemanagement module 711, each coupled to a scheduler module 712. Thescheduler module 712 is coupled along with an objective managementmodule 714 and other self management modules to the event manager 201A.

Through the event manager 201A, the subcomponent modules of the selfmanagement component 110 can be accessed as needed while using othercomponents of the system. For example, the opportunity management module704 can be accessed by the salesperson to assist in the time-consumingtasks of prioritizing opportunities, managing the sales process,communicating results, forecasting, reviewing progress, managingcustomer information and analyzing markets. As an integrated system,each of these task may be used as needed to effectively self manage thesalesperson's time. Due to integration with the sales managementcomponent 112, the information can also be reviewed by the salesmanagement team to help monitor the sales process and ensure thatobjectives are met.

Each of the subcomponent modules of the self management component 110 isoptimized for use with other modules of the sales system. The selfmanagement component is used by the salesperson to manage opportunities,objectives, territory information, contacts, accounts, schedules, goalsand tasks. The self management module performs interactively with eachof the other components, for example, with the time with customer andorder management components to recognize events and process informationwithout requiring reentry by the salesperson. The self managementcomponent further supports team selling, workgroups and workflowenvironments. It further provides an intuitive solution for managingaccount relationships, opportunities and sales processes and informationmanagement. A flexible data architecture is used which allowsinformation to be presented the way the user needs the information for aparticular opportunity. Direct integration with word processing softwareis provided to develop correspondence, access templates and createunique reports. The self management component also supports e-mail andfax functions for the rapid distribution of information andcorrespondence to customers. By way of example, various subcomponentmodules of the self management component are described below.

The contact management module 702 is provided to assist the salespersonin receiving, sending, creating, maintaining and managing informationrelated to contacts and organizations (e.g. companies, groups, firms,etc.). The contact management module utilizes a relational dataarchitecture which supports the ability to track and manage uniquerelationships of contacts, channels, and organizations. A user interfacewhich provides rapid access to account and contact information isincorporated into the contact management module 702. An integratedcommunication facility provides the ability to receive leads from otherdata sources such as telemarketing (i.e. from the lead generationcomponent 102) and other workgroups. The contact and organizationinformation, as updated using the contact manager module 702, isutilized by other components to avoid reentry by the user. Informationshared by the back office system 200 and enterprise system 209 providesaccount specific historical data. The system is further customizable bythe salesperson providing user-definable fields that allow personaltailoring of information managed in the module.

A time management module 711 is also provided in the self managementcomponent 100. The time management module 711 allows the user to managetheir schedule and tasks. Integration of the time management module withother modules and components of the system allows the system to enhancethe salesperson's ability to manage multiple tasks and events. Activatedprocess steps in the objective management module 714 (described below)are automatically scheduled for action in the time management module711. The time management module supports multiple calendar viewsincluding daily, weekly, monthly views. A user interface having theability to drag and drop tasks to a date for scheduling is provided. Thetime management module also provides direct integration with an e-mailsystem to receive or send group scheduling, requests and meetingarrangements. A task management subcomponent of the time managementmodule 711 provides the capability to implement group tasks by project,priority, account and dates.

An objective management module 714 allows the salesperson to assign aprocess (i.e. a series of steps) to a given sales objective. Theobjective management module 714 provides a structured sales process forthe salesperson by integrating the best knowledge and expertise of anorganization's best selling strategies. The salesperson is able to viewguidelines and recommendations for each step and recommendations toovercome possible obstacles to move a prospect through a sales cycle.Critical sales information and opportunity status is communicatedbetween the sales personnel and management by the integration of theobjective management module of the self management component 110 and thesales management component 112.

Using the objective management module 714 sales process steps andguidelines may be uniquely developed for each type of sales opportunity.The module may include a checklist feature that allows the user toutilize forms and lists to gather a uniform set of information neededfor each opportunity or account profile. The salesperson may customizeor insert additional process steps for a given opportunity. The systemmay automatically calculate the probability of closing the sale with thedate and value of each opportunity and process and consider both thesales status and the customer's buying status. The integration withother components of the system, allow the salesperson to quickly accessopportunity, activity and value. The integrated automated support ofopportunity management is facilitated by recognition of key opportunityevents such as proposal creation and order entry via the event manager201A, or automatically initiate other actions within the system.

A forecasting module 710 is also provided within the self managementcomponent 110. The forecasting module 710 provides functional andproduct forecast information to the salesperson related to sales,revenue, commission and profit sorted by accounts or products identifiedin the sort criteria. The forecasting capability provides information tothe salesperson to enhance planning and prioritization of efforts.Integration with the sales system allows the forecasting module 710 topresent information based on model, components, customer, time, andother criteria.

The forecasting module 710 also provides the salesperson with automaticreporting capabilities including win-loss ratios, actual versus goals,commissions, and period-to-date status. Opportunity status may bepresented on a system calculated or a user estimated basis. The moduleutilizes data for closed sales, data for opportunities with a statedprediction of close, or data for a combination of both as received fromother components of the system to generate forecast reports. The moduleproduces graphical and tabular displays of reported information.Forecast related data is made available for use by enterpriseinformation management systems by the forecast module.

FIG. 8, illustrates the subcomponent modules of the training component114. The training component 114 includes a system training module 802, aproduct training module 804, a skills training module 806, etc. Thecompletely integrated system allows salespersons to sell and train withthe same system. The integrated on-line training, using the same systemas the salesperson uses in the field eliminates traditional expensiveclassroom training and provides. Moreover, the combination of thesubcomponent modules, facilitates integrated sales training in three keyareas: product knowledge, sales skills and system usage. The integrationalso allows the salespeople to follow a self-paced routine to buildtheir expertise using live data and functionality.

Each of the training modules 802, 804 and 806 are computer basedtraining modules which present pre-built computer-based training coursesto the user and which gather completion data for training administrationand status reporting. The modules access, reformat and present productdata from the common database. Data can include, for example,specifications, graphics, multimedia and competitive information. Theability of the computer-based training to access the actual workingmodules of the sales system provide a familiar working interface to theuser. The training component 102 is further supported by a trainingadministration module 810, a training management module 812, and acertification module 814. The training management module 812,illustrated in FIG. 8, will typically reside in the sales managementcomponent 112 of the system. The training management module is used bythe system to report, monitor and coach the salesperson during training.Training events carried out by the salesperson are recognized by theevent manager 201A, and provided to the training management module 812.

As described above, the training component 114 is integrated to theother components of the sales system to provide a common user interfaceand a common platform for training and selling. Common data and media(graphics, video, etc.) utilization with the time with customercomponent 104 provide common reference material and reduce local storagerequirements. The training administration module 810, typically providedwhen in the self management component 110, is further integrated toallow the user to manage their own training and self-improvementrequirements. Integrated with the modules of the time with customercomponent 104, the certification module 814 certifies salesperson foruse of the system for particular products lines or data and can requirecertain pre-determined levels of competency before access to the moduleswithin the time with customer component 104 is granted.

The training administration module 810 provides an overview of theuser's employee development requirements (i.e., required trainingevents), the associated certification tests and the recommended sequenceof progression. This module controls access to the user's individualtraining events based upon prerequisites and the individual's completionof those prerequisites as determined by the certification tests carriedout in the certification module 814. It also provides a link to thetraining and test engine of the system.

The training administration module 810 is integrated with the objectivemanagement module 714 of the self management component 110. In thismanner, the module allows the assignment and tracking of personaltraining objectives and schedules. The training administration module810 identifies both required and optional training events which may bedriven by the salesperson's actual usage of the system. The system mayautomatically notify the user of scheduled training events orperformance evaluations and will automatically update the user's timemanagement module 711 of the self management component 110.

The certification testing module 814 presents skill or knowledgecertification tests to the user, scores responses, provides review orremediation suggestions, and gathers the necessary information used fortraining administration and reporting. The knowledge tests generated bythe certification module 814 are computer-generated multiple choice,matching or true/false questions or end user completion. The modulecalculates the score, records the results and provides feedback to theuser. Skills tests are performance checklists to be completed andupdated by the supervisor or evaluator. Thus, the certification module814 supports evaluation of skill areas where written tests would notadequately measure proficiency.

FIG. 9 illustrates the sales management component 112B connected to theevent manager 112B. As illustrated, the sales management component 112Bis comprised of modules that are optimized for use with other modules ofthe sales system. Typically, a sales manager has responsibility for bothmanagement of sales personnel and direct sales accountability forcertain clients. In this fashion, the sales manager component 112B is anintegrated component of the sales manager's sales system. As describedabove, when the sales manager is located at the home office, the salesmanager component 112B is located in the back office system.Alternatively, if the sales manager is mobile, the sales managercomponent will be located in the salesperson support system 100. Thefunctionality, however, remains substantially the same. The salesmanager module 902 of the sales manager component 1128 is used by thesales manager to forecast, coach, plan performance, assign tasks, reviewterritories, handle commissions, assign task capabilities, etc. Thefully integrated system also provides a common platform between thesales personnel and the sales management personnel to enhancecommunication and reduce redundant or administrative activities. Thesystem is integrated to permit the sales manager access to thesalesperson's usage of the system and further provides objectivefeedback on the status of sales, performance, goals and other events. Itfurther provides the sales manager with the ability to coach and monitoractivities of sales people and enhances the ability to forecast salesand related information such as product requirements, product mix,revenue and profit, commissions, pipeline status, etc.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the data component 116 includingdata components 116A and 1168. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the datacomponent 116A includes a data manager 1050 connected to the eventmanager 201A. The data component 116A also includes a number of localstorage area groups made up of various databases. The storage areagroups are divided into a manufacturer storage group 1010, andinternational storage group 1020, a locale storage group 1030 and asalesperson group 1040. The various storage groups may be all stored ina single large memory file or may be in separate memory files.

The manufacture storage group 1010 includes a services database 1011, atestimonials database 1012, an order requirements database 1013, afinancial database 1014, a template of proposals and presentationdatabase 1015, a product information database 1016 and a configurationdatabase 1017. Each of these databases support the operation of one ormore subcomponent modules of the above described components in thesalesperson support system 100. For example, the financial database 1014includes up-to-date finance and lease rates, terms and incentives. Theproduct information database 1016 includes data related to the featuresand benefits of a product, the specifications for the product or servicebeing sold, comparative specifications, etc. The configuration database1017 includes data related to a base model, for example, standardequipment, options, prices, weights, characteristics and relationshipsof the product.

The international storage group 1020 allows the integrated sales systemto be used world wide. The international storage group 1020 includesdatabases for screens, menus and print text in various languages 1021,country-supplied products 1022, country rules, currencies, etc., 1023.

The locale storage group 1030, includes databases for locale rules 1031,templates of proposals and presentations 1032, locally-supplied productsand services 1033 and archive 1034.

The salesperson storage group 1040 maintains databases for thesalesperson. For example, databases for generated presentations andproposals 1041, orders 1042, contacts, calendar and to-do items 1043,customers, leads and other names 1044, are provided.

The local storage database of data component 116A is optimized for themobile, disconnected sales environment. Data is optimized to assuresecurity, fast response time, and to provide as much information aspossible without requiring the user to “connect” to the global storageof data component 116B of the back office system 200 described morefully below. All components and subcomponent modules of the salespersonsupport system 100 use a common data architecture.

The data component 116B contains global storage databases divided into anumber of storage area groups. A data manager 1090 is connected to theevent manager 201B via respective APIs. A manufacturer storage group1060 stores global information corresponding to the manufacturer storagegroup of the data component 116A. As described more fully below, theinformation in the global storage of the data component 116B can beupdated using the data tools. The updated data will subsequently becommunicated to the salesperson support system 100 to update the localstorage of the date component 116A.

The data component 116B also contains an international storage group1080, having databases corresponding to the international storage group1020 of the data component 116A. An administration storage group 1070 isalso provided in the data component 116B. This group includes an accountdata database 1071 and a release data database. The event managers 201Aand 201B, date managers 1050 and 1090, facilitate a proper exchange ofdata between the local storage of date component 116A and the globalstorage of the data component 116B.

It is noted that the date in the data component 116B of the back officesystem is stored in an open database format (e.g., ODBC) to providemaximum compatibility with different systems. This facilitates theimportation of data from other enterprise system databases for use bythe system 20. It further provides for maximum usability of the data.Such open databases, however, require large amounts of storage space.Thus, a data optimizer is provided in the data tools subsystem 205 ofthe back office system 200 (FIG. 2), to convert the data into a run timeproduct knowledge database. The optimized database is tuned for speed,size and security. When data is transferred from the data component:116B to the data component 116A, it is first optimized. The databases ofthe data component 116A store information in the optimized format. Thus,the storage requirements are minimized and the transfer time is reduced.

FIG. 11 illustrates the subcomponent modules of the communicationscomponents 118A and 118B. The communications components 118A and 118Bhave respective communications managers 1101A and 1101B and querymanagers 1102A and 11028. The communications managers 1101A and 1101Bhandle communications from the salesperson support system 100 to theback office system 200 including orders, change orders, mail etc.Further communications from the back office system 200 to thesalesperson support system 100 are handled by the communicationsmanagers 1101A and 1101B. These communications include data updates,product information, leads, incentives, mail, system updates, etc. Thus,the communications managers 1101A and 1101B must have the ability toreceive incoming information and to process outgoing information.

The query managers 1102A and 1102B communications between the twosystems related to inquires. For example, the query managers handlecommunication of information related to inventory inquiries, orderinquires, price inquires, etc.

The communications components 118A and 118B also include respectivecommunication equipment 1103A and 1103B. The communication equipmentcommunicatively couple the two systems as illustrated by the dotted line1104. The equipment may include network connections and lines, modems,satellite communications technology, etc. Communication between the twosystems is controlled using the event managers 210A and 201B and thecommunication managers 1101A and 1101B and query managers 1102A and1102B.

FIG. 12 illustrates in greater detail the data tools subsystem 205 ofthe back office system 200. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the data toolsubsystem 205 includes a number of data tools used to edit and maintainthe data. The data tools include a configuration data tool 1202, aspecifications and comparison date tool 1204, a graphics and featureinformation data tool 1206, a customer and leads data tool 1208, a salesprocesses data tool 1210, a programs and incentives data tool 1212, aservices dated tool 1214, an inventory data tool 1216, a financeparameters data tool 1218, a quote terms and conditions data tool 1220,and a training management data tool 1222.

The configuration data tool 1202 allows data maintenance personnel tocreate, edit and update the configuration portions of the knowledgedatabase. The configuration data tool 1202 includes an editor, allowingthe user to create and edit the database, including internationalportions of the database. The configuration data tool 1202 may be usedto carry out such functions as data modeling, data editing, auditing,security, and internationalization. The configuration data tool may alsobe provided with interfacing capability to be used with a datapre-processor to incorporate data from other electronic sources. A dataoptimizer is used to place the data in the optimized, encrypted run timeformat.

The specifications and comparison data tool 1204 allows the datamaintenance personnel to create, edit and update the specifications forthe products, as well as specifications of competitor's products. Thisdata is also stored in the knowledge database. Like the configurationdata tool 1202, the specifications and comparison data tool 1204includes an editor allowing a back office user to create and edit thedatabase including, international portions of the database. The tool canalso be used in conjunction with the data pre-processor to incorporatedata from other electronic sources. As with the configuration data tool1202, the specifications and comparison data tool uses the dataoptimizer to place the data in the optimized run time, encrypted format.The tool may also include data auditing and security functionality.

The graphics and features data tool 1206 is provided to assist datamaintenance personnel in creating, editing, updating and adding text tographics screens. The resultant data in stored in the knowledgedatabase. The tool includes an editor which allows users to create andedit the textual portions of graphics screens. The graphics and featurestool 1206 may be used in conjunction with a scanning device and/orgraphic creation and drawing tools to create graphic images. The toolcreates the run time database.

The customer and leads data tool 1208 allows back office personnel tomaintain and control the data entities and relationships required forthe contact management module 702, provided in the self managementcomponent 110. The tool includes import and export capabilities enablingthe system to process information to and from other enterprise databasessuch as telemarketing, customer services, warranty, and managementinformation systems. In this manner, leads can be passed from theseother entities directly to the salesperson through the customer andleads data tool 1208.

The sales processes data tool 1210 is provided to create, edit andmaintain data elements used to support the objective management modulein the self management component of the salesperson support system 100.This tool is used to identify steps and scheduling for processes,develop guidelines for these steps, create checklists for consistentdata collection, and enter required follow-up requirements. In addition,a data and formula matrix used to calculate probability of closing asales opportunities is provided within the sales processes tool 1210.

The finance parameter data tool 1218 is used to maintain the values,plans and defaults for credit and finance information used by thefinance module of the time with customer component of the system. Thefinance parameter tool 1218 allows maintenance personnel to add or editinterest rates, set finance and lease plan requirements and parameters,control plan and option availability, establish report requirements andset finance plan valid dates.

The quote terms and conditions data tool 1220 is provided to allow backoffice system 200 maintenance personnel to control and maintain theterms and conditions used by the quotation module of the time withcomponent system. Tax requirements, special fees, discounts andprofitability calculations may be set using this tool.

The other data tools are similar in construction and provide similarfunctionality to those described in greater detail above. Each of thedata tools are connected to the event manager 201B, which handles theflow of information throughout the system.

FIG. 13 illustrates in greater detail the system tools subsystem 207 ofthe back office system 200. The system tools subsystem 207 of the backoffice system 200 includes a screens and interface subcomponent module1302 and a report and templates subcomponent module 1304. The screensand interface module 1302 is used by back office personnel to modify thelanguage or terminology of the screen elements such as controls,buttons, menus, field labels, etc. International language selection canbe supported with this tool to provide a sales system usable bysalespeople in different languages. The reports and templates module1304 is provided to modify and create a sales system report format andcontent. The module may also be used to create and modify proposaltemplates. Each of the modules is connected to the event manager 201B asillustrated.

FIG. 14 illustrates in greater detail the enterprise system subsystem209 of the back office system 200. The enterprise subsystem 209 of theback office system 200 is made up of a number of databases and a numberof data managers. The system includes a manufacturing system database1401, a pricing database 1403, an inventory database 1405, a customerdatabase 1407, other legacy system databases 1409 and marketingdatabases 1411. An out box data manager 1402 manages data output fromthe databases of the enterprise system 209 and supplies the outputinformation to the event manager 201B. An in box data manager 1404receives data from the event manager 201 and stores the data in theappropriate database of the enterprise system 209. An enterprisemassaging system manager 1406 is provided to communicate informationbetween the event manager 201B and the various databases of theenterprise system 209.

FIGS. 15A-F illustrate in table form an example of how data may beorganized in the local information storage databases of the datacomponent 116 of the salesperson support system 100 and the back officesystem 200. The routing of data, proper classification of data, etc., iscontrolled by the event manager 201.

In the tables, the various types of information stored and used by thesales system is listed by category. For example, FIG. 15A illustratesthe types of customer information typically gathered and used during thesales process. Also illustrated in the tables are the various corecomponents 103 of the salesperson support system 100 and the supportprocess components 105. Exemplary subcomponent modules are alsoillustrated for the various components. The table illustrates how eachof the subcomponent modules, under control of the event manager 201 aregranted access to the particular types of data. Subcomponent modulesmarked with a “+” symbol have access to the corresponding data for bothread and write purposes. Subcomponent modules marked with a “#” symbolhave read only access to the corresponding data. Subcomponent modulesleft blank do not have access to the data.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15A-15F, the data may be used commonly by morethan one of the various components and subcomponent modules. In thismanner, the components and modules are integrated together for a commonexchange of information via the event manager 201. As illustrated, datastored in a single location is used by the various components andsubcomponent modules during different phase of the overall salesprocess. It is can also be appreciated from the tables of FIGS. 15A-15Fthat data which is updated using one module will be automaticallyreflected in other modules which rely on the particular data. In thismanner, the salesperson can be confident that the most recent data isbeing used since regardless of when in the sales process the data ischanged it will be automatically reflected in each component whichrelies on the data.

By way of example, a salesperson meeting with a current customer maylearn that the customer has moved to a new address. Using the selfmanagement component 110, the salesperson enters the new addressinformation into the customer information database. The event manager201A recognizes this event. If the customer currently has an order notyet delivered when the data is updated in the common database, the eventmanager 201A instructs the order management component 106 toautomatically reflect the change. Alternatively, the event manager 201Acan be used to prompt the salesperson that the data which is beingupdated is being used or relied upon by another component of the salessystem. The salesperson can confirm that the updated information shouldbe used in other parts of the system. For example, the system willinquire under control of the event manager whether the change in addressrequires a change in the delivery address for an order. If the newaddress should be used for the delivery, the change order subcomponentmodule 506 is initiated with the new information reflected and a commandis given to update the delivery address information in the order. Thus,the order will now reflect the proper address information ensuringproper delivery.

FIG. 15C illustrates another example of how the fully integrated salessystem uses the common exchange of information to facilitate the overallsales process. Using the self management component 110, the salespersongenerates a forecast with the forecasting subcomponent module for theupcoming year. The forecasting module accesses information generatedwith the quote module to prepare quotes for customers, such as unitquantity, quoted price and discount description, thereby basing theforecast on the most recent quotes which the salesperson has prepared.

FIGS. 16-18 are flow charts illustrating the operation of the abovedescribed embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 16, theoperation of the system when used to generate a proposal will bedescribed. At step S101, the salesperson using the salesperson supportsystem 100 accesses or generates customer information for a proposal.The system may invoke the contact module 702 of the self managementcomponent 110 and retrieve data from the salesperson storage group 1040.

At step S102, the product module 402 of the time with customer component104 (FIG. 4) is used to tag features and benefits, as well ascompetitive information for the proposal to be generated.

At step S103, the configuration module 406 of the time with customercomponent 104 is used to create a customer solution. As described above,the configuration may previously have been created and the informationresiding therein may automatically be used at this step to generate acustomer proposal. At step S104, the quote module 408, finance module410, and any other needed modules are accessed and used to prepare allof the desired information to be included in the proposal. At step S105,certain selections of the proposal may be edited as permitted by thelocale rules database 103. Only certain users of the system may bevalidated for such an operation. If the user is not validated, step S105is skipped and the system proceeds directly from step S104 to step S106.At step S106, the system automatically creates, prints and saves aproposal using the information generated using the various subcomponentmodules described above.

At step S107, the event manager 201A recognizes the proposal generationevent and instructs the opportunity and forecast modules of the selfmanagement component 110 to update opportunity and forecast status toreflect the newly created proposal. Upon completion of the update, stepS108, the updated opportunity status is transmitted to the back officesystem 200. It is noted that the salesperson support system 100 may beoperated disconnected from the back office system 200. In this instance,the data is placed in the out box of the communication component 118Aand is automatically transmitted at the next connected session with theback office system 200.

At step S109, the back office system 200 receives the updatedopportunity status information at the communication manager in thecommunication component 118B. This information is transferred via theevent manager 201A to the sales manager module of the sales managementcomponent 112B and is reflected in the database component 118B. At stepS110, the sales management forecasts are now properly updated to reflectthe proposal created using the salesperson support system 100.

Upon completion of step S110, the operation of the proposal generationis ended.

FIG. 17 illustrates the use of the system 20 (FIG. 2) during the ordersubmission process. At step S201, an order process is initiated by thesalesperson. If not, a message will be provided to the salesperson,otherwise the system proceeds to step S202. At step S202, the systemchecks order requirements by accessing the order requirements database1013 of the manufacturer storage group 1010 via the event manager 201Aand the data manager 1050 (FIG. 10). The system then accesses thepresentations and proposals database 1041 of the data component 116A toretrieve a configuration of the system to be ordered.

At step S204, the event manager 201A creates a work session file whichis used to manage information related to the order. At step S205, thesystem automatically accesses the configuration module 406 to create ormodify the configuration as needed.

At step S206, the system accesses the customer module to completecustomer information as needed.

At step S207, the system prompts the user to enter any additional orderinformation needed such as quantity, “ship to”, “bill to” and specialinstructions.

The system then checks user status by referring to the locale rulesdatabase 1031 at step S208 to confirm that the user is granted validaccess to submit an order. Assuming the user has access, the systemproceeds to step S209 and transfers the order from the event manager201A to the out box of the communications component 118A via thecommunication manager 1101A.

The event manager 201A recognizes the order submittal process andinitiates a series of automatic steps. At step S210, the system stores arecord of the order in the orders database 1042. At step S211, thesystem automatically updates the opportunity status of the opportunitymodule 704 of the self management component 110. At step S112, the to domodule 708 of the self management component 110 is accessed by thesystem and follow-up items are automatically added to the salespersonsto-do list. Because the self management component 110 is fullyintegrated via the intelligent event manager 201A to the ordermanagement component 106, the system automatically creates the follow-upto do list and updates the opportunity status without requirement of anyfurther interaction with the user.

At step S213, the system transmits the order to the back office system200 via the communications component 118A out box at the next connectedsession. At step S214, the communication manager 1101B of thecommunication component 118B receives the order from the communicationequipment 11038. The communication manager notifies the information tothe event manager 201B of the back office system 200. At step S215, theevent manager transfers the order information to the enterprise system209. The system also updates the sales management forecast in the salesmanagement component 112B to reflect the order at step S216.

At step S217, the enterprise system notifies the communication managerout box, via the event manager 201B, of an order acknowledgment which istransmitted to the sales representative. At step S218, the salespersonis notified of the acknowledgment. Upon completion of step S218, theorder submission process is complete.

FIG. 18 illustrates the process flow for a price information updateoperation. At step S301, pricing information is updated in the system.The pricing information may be updated using the configuration data toolof the data tools subsystem 205 or may be received from the pricingdatabase of the enterprise system. At step S302, the price change istransferred to the global information storage of data component 116B.The updated data is also transferred via the event manager 201B to thecommunication manager of the communications component 118B.

At step S304, the system accesses the account data database 1071 of thedata component 116B and checks the user data file for replicationinstructions. The price data is transferred at the next connect sessionat step S305.

At step S306, the updated price information is received by thecommunication manager of the communication component 118A. At step S307,the system updates the price file and marks old information as invalidin the configuration database of the data component 116A. The systemalso leaves an audit trail message in the out box of the communicationcomponent 118A for transfer to the back office system during the nextconnected session at step S308.

Finally, at step S309, the system may be used to automatically notifythe salesperson of any outstanding quotes which are affected by theprice change. Upon completion of step S309, the process ends.

As described above, each event occurring in the sales process is handledby an event manager which recognizes the event, notes the context inwhich the event occurs and automatically initiates additional actionbased on the event and its context. The operation of the event managerwill be better understood by reference to the exemplary embodimentsdescribed below. These embodiments are provided by way of illustration,and not limitation, to demonstrate how the various types of informationmade available during the sales process can be used by an automatedsales system to facilitate the sales process.

As described above, object oriented programming (OOP) may be used toimplement the various subsystems. In such an implementation, thefunctionality of the various modules and subsystems may be implementedin the form of business objects. In such an implementation, the businessobjects can be the focal point of behavior in an OOP based sales system.For example, the business objects can trap application events (whichrepresent actions by the user) and apply a set of behavior rules to theapplication events. A typical business object may provide or receiveinformation to or from a user through the occurrence of an applicationevent.

Application events in the disclosed embodiment are internal to the salessystem and generally represent a sales event occurring in the salesprocess. In other words, a sales event may be an event in the salesprocess, typically occurring between the salesperson and the customer,while an application event may be an internal operation of the salessystem (i.e., the operation of the software and hardware making up thesales system) which is used to electronically facilitate the salesevent. In such a system, the occurrence of a sales event can be madeknown to the sales system by the occurrence of an application event. Forexample, the generation of a proposal for a customer is a sales eventwhich occurs in the time with customer phase of the sales process. Whenthe sales system is used to generate the proposal, a business object ofthe proposal generation module in the time with customer componenttypically will be used by the system. As described more fully below,such use of this business object will inform the sales system that thegeneration of a proposal has just occurred in the sales process. Thisinformation may then be used by the sales system to facilitate (orinitiate) specified application events, which in turn drive sales events(e.g., to enter tasks into a to-do list for actions to be taken by thesalesperson or to automatically carry out a task in the sales process).

As can be appreciated, in many instances a sales event and its relatedapplication event may be used interchangeably to describe an event. Inthe discussion below, where a distinction between the two types ofevents is useful, the terms sales event and application event are used.Where the discussion applies more generally to both types of events theterm event may be used in a more generic form.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an event manager 201. Theevent manager shown includes an event managing unit 1902 coupled to anevent manager rules database 1904. An editor 1906, which is showncoupled to the event manager, rules database 1904 and may be used toalter the contents of the event manager rules database 1904. The eventmanager rules database 1904 may also be viewed via a monitoring unit1908, which typically is configured to provide for an administrativeview of the event information. Also in FIG. 19, a business object 1908,a data object 1910 and a container 1912 are shown for purposes ofillustrating the operation of the event manager 201.

In one embodiment, a system using an event manager as depicted in FIG.19 is implemented in a layered architecture. An exemplary layeredarchitecture is illustrated in FIG. 20. The layered architecture enablesdevelopers to change areas of the system without impacting areas outsidethe defined areas. The system shown has four layers; the platform layer2002 (typically including operating systems, networks, peripherals,etc.), the data layer 2004, the business objects layer 2006 and theapplication layer 2008. In the embodiment illustrated, the layerscommunicate with each other through three defined protocols illustratedas protocol layers 2001, 2003 and 2005 between the platform layer 2002and the data layer 2004, the data layer 2004 and the business objectslayer 2006, the business objects layer 2006 and the application layer2008, respectively.

The third protocol layer 2005 may be used to implement the intelligentoperation of the system by establishing the interaction of events andactions between objects and applications as well as between objectsthemselves. In other words, events may be tied (or paired) together inthe third protocol layer 2005. When one event occurs on this level(e.g., the generation of a proposal in the proposal generation module),the system automatically recognizes the event, and its significance andmay automatically initiate another event in the sales process (e.g.,scheduling a follow-up in the time management module) on the thirdprotocol layer 2005. In other words, the third protocol layer 2005 canbe the layer on which pairing (or grouping) of application eventsoccurs. However, as described more fully below, the grouping operationof the event manager depicted in FIG. 19 typically is driven on thebasis of data. In this matter, the pairing or grouping of events may beconsidered as occurring on the second protocol layer 2003.

In the embodiment shown, the second protocol layer 2003 provides forcommunication within the system. As described above, the system may beimplemented using distributed technology. Typical communication withinsuch a system may be abstracted into four basic types: (1) Distribution;(2) Replication; (3) Transaction: and (4) Messaging. Communication onthis protocol layer now will be briefly described.

Distribution generally refers to and includes en mass file copying. Thiswould include general functions such as copy, move, create, delete, andthe like. The distributed files and information types can be maintainedin a number of different ways. For example, a version number may beused. Each file may be assigned a version number which changes when thecontent is changed. The distributed files can also be updated withchanges which occur only in the system and not in the complete file.This type of change may be termed a net change. Files and informationtypes can also be maintained with tokens. A token is set valid for agiven period of time for a given user. This may also be used as asecurity mechanism, of the system as well.

Replication may be used when a user does not need the entire set ofinformation contained in a given source. Used in this manner,replication enables a user to receive relevant information only. Thisreduces the amount of information that is transferred duringmaintenance.

A Transaction operation may be used for information support. Ittypically includes functions such as insert, delete, select (query),post, commit, etc. This type of operation generally is more efficientwhen handling tabular information.

The Messaging function may be used to enable workflow in the system,such as by enabling the business objects to communicate state and statusinformation with each other. For example, messaging operations mayinclude post route, send, broadcast, receive, listen, etc.

Typical operation of the event manager 201 will now be described. In thedisclosed embodiment, upon the occurrence of an application event usingthe business object 1908, the business object 1908 exposes 1914, theevent and associated event handlers to the event managing unit 1904, andthe information contained in the exposed event is used to by the eventmanaging unit 1902 to create or update a database in the event managerdatabase 1904. On the basis of rules and state information stored in theevent manager database 1904, the event managing unit 1902 may beconfigured to dynamically bind event handlers (in the form of an eventmap) to the exposed events (as represented by line 1916). The eventhandlers typically dictate further action to be taken by the systemresulting from the occurrence of the particular sales event representedby the business object 1908.

As described above, a typical business object may provide or receiveinformation to or from the user. The information may be taken from orput to a data object 1910 with the data objects stored in a container1912. The container 1912 may be a special business object such as arepository for data objects that may or may not be operated on by thebusiness object 1908.

In the embodiment described above, the event manager automatically bindsa sales event to one or more other sales events as directed by the rulesand other information in the event manager database 1904. The rules mayprescribe that on the occurrence of a particular event, an event recordis examined in the event manager database to determine if other relatedevents have occurred, and if the other events have occurred, the rulesmay indicate that another sales event should be initiated.

By way of example, a sales event such as the introduction of a newincentive program for a specified product may occur. A business objectassociated with handling incentive programs may be used to update datarelated to incentive information in the system. The event manager mayautomatically recognize a change in the incentive program for thespecified product, check to see if there are outstanding proposals forthe specified product, and if so, direct a business object in the selfmanagement component to automatically generate a letter informing thecustomer of the new incentive program.

Further intelligence may be provided in the system to evaluate thecontext in which the sales event occurs (e.g., the significance of otherinformation in the system). In the above example, the event manager mayalso check customer information, and determine whether the new incentivefits the customer profile. For example, the customer may have indicateda maximum down payment available to the customer. If the incentiveprogram calls for a higher down payment, then a decision may be madethat the incentive program need not be sent to the customer. In thismanner, the context in which the sales event occurs (e.g., whetheroutstanding proposals exists, whether the incentive is inconsistent withcustomer profile information) may be used in connection with theoccurrence of the event to determine what if any subsequent actionshould be taken by the system.

In the manner described above, different events may be paired (orgrouped) together. In FIGS. 21A-21G, a table provides examples of howsales events may be linked together by the event manager database. InFIGS. 21A-21G, exemplary events are listed in column 2102. The exemplarycomponents and related modules used to facilitate the sales events arelisted in columns 2101 and 2103. In column 2104, examples are providedillustrating how a rules database in the event manager database 1904 maylink the sales events to other sales events facilitated by the system.The provided examples are not exhaustive, but rather illustratedifferent types of events that may be paired to facilitate the salesprocess.

Referring again to FIG. 19, the rules applied by the event managing unit1902 can be manually entered into the event manager data base 1904 usingthe editor 1906. In this manner, the operation of the system in responseto a particular event can be altered by changing the information in theevent manager database without altering the business objects used by thesystem. In other words, the subsequent automatic operations carried outby the system are driven by the contents of the event manager database1904. This allows the system to be highly customizable without requiringextensive reprogramming of the business objects used to facilitate salesevents. If desired, changes in the rules database may be madetransparent to the business objects.

FIG. 22 illustrates an alternative embodiment which incorporates anexpert system 2002 which allows the system to learn successful salesapproaches and automatically implement such approaches in future salesprocess. For example, the expert sales system may be programmed tomonitor the sales processes for desired (successful) sales events. Theseevents may be include, for example, a customer purchase of a product, arepeat sale to a customer, a large number of leads being qualified topotential customer, and the like. These events represent successes inthe sales process. When a successful event occurs, the system preferablyidentifies the events or actions leading to the desired outcome. Theexpert system may then dynamically alter the rules in the event managerdatabase 1904 to automatically initiate (or set different values for)the identified events or actions in similar subsequent sales activity.

The expert system 2002 may monitor a large number of successful eventsand determine the common characteristics of the events and actionsleading to successful events and then change the rules on the basis ofthis experience. In this manner, the expert sales system allows theentire sales force to pool knowledge and experience such that the entiresales force gains from the shared experience. This allows the successfultactics of experienced salespeople to be provided as defaults forinexperienced salespeople. This also allows a generic sales system to beused in a particular sales environment or in a geographic region and tolearn successful default operations to maximize the sales opportunities.

The expert system 2002, may also be implemented to predict the mostsuccessful course of action based on the information available to thesystem at the time a sales event occurs. For example, an inferenceengine may be incorporated into the expert system 2002 to select anappropriate course of action to be taken when prior events of interestsuggest different, conflicting courses of action. Consider the aboveexample, where a new incentive program is introduced. In addition to thepreviously described information, the system may have a vast amount ofknowledge (or information) which may be useful to determine the bestcourse of action. For example, based on prior experience, it maydetermined that customers in the particular customer's geographic regiontypically participate in the type of incentive program offered. Thiswould suggest that it would be advisable to make appropriate offers,such as by sending out a letter. The system may also contain a recordindicating similar incentive programs being rejected by the particularcustomer a number of times in the past. This would indicate that itmight be better to leave the customer to consider the currentoutstanding proposal.

Such facts related to the event may be taken into consideration by anexperienced salesperson to determine if and how the new incentiveprogram should be presented to a particular customer. As can beappreciated, a large number of pieces of information available in thesales system may each be related to whether a subsequent action (e.g.,sending out a letter) should be initiated. All of the potentialscenarios in which the fact patterns may be developed may make itextremely difficult to code specific rules for making such a decision.Thus, in accordance with one embodiment of the system, an inferenceengine may be employed to make the decision of whether particularsubsequent action should be taken.

A typical inference engine relies upon a number of independent ruleswhich may be conceptualized as a number of statements in the form IF XTHEN Y. In the above example, these rules may be of the from:

-   IF proposal exists for product THEN send letter;-   IF insufficient down payment THEN no letter;-   IF location is Midwest THEN send letter;-   IF prior rejection THEN no letter.

In its most simple form, the inference engine may determine whether morerules indicate that a letter should be sent or not. The different rulescould also be weighted to provide a heavier influence by some of therules on the outcome. Moreover, the rules may be more complex such as IFX AND Z THEN Y. The above example is provided as a simplifiedillustration of the general operation of an expert system using aninference engine in the system of FIG. 22.

It is noted that such an expert system may be developed by generatingrules based on the knowledge and experience of the most experiencedsalespeople. Then, a relatively inexperienced salesperson can use thesystem to facilitate a sale by automatically identifying events thatsuggest further action and by suggesting a best course of action basedon the outcome of the rules. It is further noted that the rules used(e.g., in the inference engine) may examine vast amounts of informationgathered during the sales process to suggest or initiate action. Thevolume of information available and considered may far exceed the amountof information that even an experienced salesperson would be capable ofexamining. Moreover, the system may be implemented so that informationis automatically reviewed, eliminating the need to identify whichinformation may be relevant each time the situation arises. Also, thetime which would otherwise be spent retrieving and reviewing theinformation is now made available to the salesperson for other moreproductive activities.

It is also noted that, in dealing with additional customers, the rulesused by an expert system employing an inference engine may be derivedfrom actual experience. Successful tactics may be remembered by thesystem and used to drive the THEN statement for a particular set offacts.

The advantages of using the intelligence of an expert system extendsacross the various phases of the sales process. For example, the systemcan track customer profile information as it is gathered during thepresales phase of the sales process and can correlate that to whether asale is made by examining activities in the order management phase ofthe sales process. In this manner, the system may intelligently leveragesuch information to glean which types of presentations and proposals areeffective with the particular customer profile and set this informationas a default for the system whenever a similar customer profile isassociated with a customer for which a presentation or proposal is beingprepared. During the configuration process, specific types ofinformation may be automatically tagged for inclusion in a presentationor proposal on the basis of the particular customer's profile. Theintelligent ability to alter defaults for the system on the basis of thecustomer profile enhances the likelihood of a sale and reduces theworkload of the salesperson.

Another example of using the knowledge base of the system is ingeneration of forecasts. The system may continually evaluate and trackevents and actions which predict outcome. Upon occurrence of aparticular event or set of events, the system can dynamically update theprobability of sale.

FIG. 23 illustrates the general interaction of an expert sales systemthrough various phases of the sales process. Four general phases of thesales process, (e.g., the lead generation phase 2301, the time withcustomer phase 2305, the order management phase 2306 and the customerretention phase 2307) are illustrate in FIG. 23. The lead generationphase 2301 includes three sub-phases which correspond to a salespersonreceiving a lead (suspect) 2302, determining whether the lead can usethe product to be sold (qualify) 2303, and generating a qualified lead(prospect) 2304.

An intelligent system 2312 typically interacts with each phase of thesales process as illustrated in FIG. 23. Such an intelligent systemgenerally includes a knowledge database 2308, plus logic 2309 to realizethe implication of the knowledge and logic to strategize 2310 based onthe realized implication. As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 23,such a system will gather knowledge by monitoring the operation of thesystem in the various phases of the sales process (i.e., knowledge isgathered as the automated sales system is used to facilitate the salesprocess). Thus, the knowledge database 3208 may include informationprior sales experience using the sales system and successful strategiesemployed in the prior uses. The gathered knowledge, as realized andstrategized, is then used by the system to impact the overall salesprocess.

The foregoing description, which has been disclosed by way of the aboveexamples and discussion, addresses embodiments of the present inventionencompassing the principles of the present invention. The embodimentsmay be changed, modified and/or implemented using various types ofarrangements. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize variousmodifications and changes which may be made to the present inventionwithout strictly following the exemplary embodiments and applicationsillustrated and described herein, and without departing from the truespirit and scope of the present invention which is set forth in thefollowing claims.

1.-5. (canceled)
 6. An integrated sales system comprising: a core component configured to execute a multistep sales process, the core component comprising: a lead generation subsystem configured to convert a name to a potential customer lead; a time with customer subsystem communicatively coupled to the lead generation subsystem and configured to convert a potential customer lead to a buying customer, so as to close a sale; an order management subsystem communicatively coupled the time with customer subsystem and configured to convert the sale such that a product or service delivered matches a product or service sold; and a customer retention subsystem communicatively coupled to the order management subsystem and configured to convert an existing customer into a lead, so as to generate repeat sales; and a support component communicatively coupled to the core component and configured to automate execution of the multistep sales process and enable a salesperson to manage tasks related to execution of the multistep sales process.
 7. The integrated sales system of claim 6, further comprising: a communication component communicatively coupled to a communication network and at least one of the core component and the support component and configured to facilitate communication between the integrated sales system and the communication network.
 8. The integrated sales system of claim 7, wherein the communication network is at least one of a local area network (LAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), and the Internet.
 9. The integrated sales system of claim 6, further comprising: a database communicatively coupled to the lead generation subsystem and configured to store information related to names, wherein the lead generation subsystem is further configured to generate a mailing list of potential customer leads using information received from the database.
 10. The integrated sales system of claim 6, wherein the support component comprises at least one of: a self management subsystem configured to assist a salesperson in managing sales information; a sales management subsystem configured to assist a sales manager in managing a plurality of salespeople; and a training subsystem configured to provide training to a salesperson.
 11. A method for executing a multistep sales process, the method comprising: converting a name to a potential customer lead by an integrated sales system; converting the potential customer lead to a buying customer by the integrated sales system, so as to close a sale; converting the sale such that a product or service delivered matches a product or service sold by the integrated sales system; and converting an existing customer into a known customer lead by the integrated sales system, so as to generate repeat sales. 